Public Health Experts Call On The Scottish Parliament To Do The Right Thing And Introduce Minimum Pricing For Alcohol

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 16 Nov 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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At the Faculty of Public Health Scottish conference in Peebles, delegates called on the Scottish and UK governments to introduce new measures to curb binge drinking, anti-social behaviour and to tackle Scotland's increasing alcohol-related health problems.

Scotland has one of the fastest growing chronic liver disease rates in the world, and one in three divorces is linked to alcohol problems. 65,000 children under 16 are estimated to be living with parents with alcohol problems.

Dr Emilia Crighton, Convenor of the Faculty of Public Health in Scotland, said: "One in 20 deaths in Scotland is attributable to alcohol. There is an overwhelming case that cheap drink damages Scotland's health record. As prices have dropped, consumption has risen. Alcohol is 70% more affordable than in 1980. Over the same period, consumption has increased by around 20%.

"That is why tackling price is important. Putting a floor on the price of cheap alcoholic drinks would benefit health and won't harm business. Other pricing policies would be insufficient to have enough effect to address Scotland's alcohol problem.

"The evidence shows that a considerable public health impact would be achieved at 60p per unit of alcohol sold. Research suggests that 866 alcohol-related deaths each year would be prevented by the introduction of a 60p minimum price once the policy is in full effect.

'We therefore call on the Scottish Parliament to legislate for minimum pricing - that is the right thing to do," said Dr Crighton.

The delegates voted in favour of a nationwide minimum price for alcohol following a speech by Dr Lesley Graham, public health lead for alcohol with NHS Scotland ISD, which showed that the UK's alcohol consumption has more than doubled since 1950, and has risen by a fifth since the 1980s.

Dr Graham said in Scotland one in four (27%) men and nearly one in five (18%) women are binge drinking. The younger age groups (16-24) drink most and are most likely to exceed weekly and double daily limits

Fifteen of the 20 local areas in the UK with highest male alcohol-related death rates between 1998 and 2004 are in Scotland. Alcohol contributes to a wide range of diseases including some cancers, and acute conditions such as accidents and injuries, the conference was told.

Notes

- Scotland has one of the fastest growing chronic liver disease and cirrhosis death rates in the world at a time when rates in most of Western Europe are falling.

- Scotland's chronic liver disease and cirrhosis death rates among 45-64 year old men have increased dramatically in the last decade and are now twice as high as in England and Wales.

- Alcohol-related acute hospital discharges have increased by almost 50% in the last decade and they continue to rise across all age groups.

- 96% of people feel alcohol abuse in Scotland as a problem.

- Sheffield University research, commissioned by the Scottish government, analysed 21 separate scenarios to examine the impact of various minimum prices per unit of alcohol, a ban on discounting, as well as combination of minimum pricing and a ban of discounting for their effects on alcohol consumption and health, crime, and employment related harms.

- The greatest impact of minimum pricing and a ban is discounting is on those who currently drink the most.

- The Faculty of Public Health Scotland conference was held at the Peebles Hydro Hotel on November 12 and 13.

- The Faculty of Public Health represents 3,000 leading public health experts in the UK.

Source
Faculty of Public Health Scottish

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